California fishing reports
691 reports for California — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Delta water holds in the 60s as fall bass pattern sets up
Gauge readings show the California Delta sitting in a comfortable early-fall range. USGS gauge 381126121554801 and gauge 381142122015801 both read 67°F, while gauge 11447650 on the Sacramento side reads 64°F with 5,130 cfs moving through. That gradient matters, because the cooler, moving water upstream and the warmer, slower sloughs hold different fish on the same day. Per Tactical Bassin (blog), bass are chasing baitfish this fall, and adding a blade to a paddle-tail swimbait with an underspin is one way to add flash and vibration when fish are on the move. Another Tactical Bassin (blog) episode points to shallow jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater as an overlooked October approach.
Marlin and yellowtail push stand out across the SoCal Bight
Fall is delivering for Southern California boat anglers, with Western Outdoor News reporting the best marlin bite in years across the Bight, including the Northern Channel Islands, and noting stripers and blues swarming in the same waters. The same publication covered a Point Loma half-day boat that crushed yellowtail before finishing a crew trip on white seabass, and a Sea Adventure 80 two-day charter that found plenty of yellowfin action ahead of a fleet outing with fair weather. Water temperatures remain warm. NOAA CO-OPS station 9410170 read 74.8°F and station 9410230 read 73.6°F on the evening of October 18. That is a strong signal behind the El Niño talk a Newport Beach kayaker passed along to Western Outdoor News, where he mentioned plenty of bonito around the harbor mouth. Warm water this late in the season keeps yellowtail and exotics within reach of the day boats.
Delta water holds in the low 60s as fall bite settles in
Three USGS gauges around the Sacramento area read 62°F at gauge 11446980 and gauge 11446700, with gauge 11447650 at 64°F and carrying 11,000 cfs. That is a lot of moving water for mid-October, and it sets the tone: fish will relate to current seams, eddies and slack pockets rather than open flats. Water in the low 60s is comfortable for bass, catfish and panfish, and it is cool enough that feeding windows stretch through the middle of the day instead of collapsing to dawn only.
Delta anglers watch cooling water as fall patterns set up
The Delta is cooling into its autumn window. A USGS gauge near the Sacramento River reads 64°F, while two gauges in the western Delta read 65°F and 66°F. That range sits in a comfortable zone for fall feeding. Per Tactical Bassin (blog), bass chasing baitfish in fall respond well to a swimbait with a blade added for flash and vibration, and the same outlet notes shallow jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater are working for October bass. Field & Stream advises moving to clear, stable water and searching with spinnerbaits if turnover muddies things.
Warm water keeps the Bight's yellowtail bite rolling
Water temperatures of 74.1°F and 72.3°F at NOAA CO-OPS stations 9410170 and 9410230 are running warm for mid October, and the fishing reflects it. Western Outdoor News reports that the crew aboard the Daily Double, a half-day boat out of Point Loma Sportfishing, crushed yellowtail this season before a celebratory crew trip. The same outlet describes the warm-water offshore bite across the SoCal Bight as the best in years, with fish showing up around the Northern Channel Islands. A Western Outdoor News reader report from Newport Harbor adds that talk of El Niño has anglers bringing heavier gear. One kayaker there went to a stouter rod, 20-pound fluorocarbon and 40 to 80 gram metal lures so he could cast far enough to reach fish holding just outside the harbor. Surf Fishing in So Cal is meanwhile focused on beach structure, with a new guide on reading troughs, holes and rip currents. Its writer is also looking ahead to king tides for the rest of 2026 and 2027.
Delta waters cool into a comfortable fall window
Three USGS gauges around the Sacramento area report water temperatures of 62 to 64°F this morning, with gauge 11447650 showing 63°F and 10,700 cfs of flow. That is cool enough to pull bass out of their summer holding patterns. Per Tactical Bassin, October is a shallow-water month, and its crew points to jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater as the baits that catch fall fish without any electronics. Tactical Bassin also notes that when bass chase baitfish in the fall, adding a blade to a swimbait is one of the best ways to catch them, because of the extra flash and vibration.
Northern California bay waters set up for a fall halibut push
Water temperature across the two NOAA CO-OPS stations sits in the mid-50s this morning, 56.5°F at station 9418767 and 57.2°F at station 9416841, a comfortable range for a fall bay bite. Intel for the region is thin, but Western Outdoor News reports a strong fall run on the California coast, with yellowtail and white seabass crushing it for a San Diego half-day boat. That is far south of here, so treat it as a seasonal signal rather than a local report. Halibut remain the practical target for bay and nearshore anglers in the weeks ahead.
Eastern Sierra trout settle into fall streamer and nymph mode
Fall is pushing trout toward a more predatory pattern across the West. Per Flylords Mag, early-autumn trout are hunting baitfish, sculpins and even other trout to pack on calories, which makes drifted streamers worth the effort. Trout Unlimited's tip on nymph rigs adds a useful reminder that weight matters, so adjust it to the depth and speed of the run. Caddis Fly (OR) lists the Perdigon as a hot fly this fall, and the same shop's jigged articulated sculpin fits the baitfish theme. The Eastern Sierra gauge on our list returned no usable reading right now, so read the water in person before committing to a plan.
Delta bass turn to fall patterns as water cools
Water in the California Delta is sitting in the mid-60s, and that is the main story this week. USGS gauge 381126121554801 and gauge 381142122015801 both read 67°F, while gauge 11447650 reads 64°F on the Sacramento side. That is comfortable for Largemouth Bass, which tend to feed hard as temperatures ease off summer highs. Tactical Bassin (blog) describes fall bass chasing baitfish and says adding a blade to a paddle tail on an underspin gives extra flash and vibration. Its October video also covers shallow jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater for overlooked shallow fish.
Southern California marlin and yellowtail bite stays strong into fall
Western Outdoor News — Saltwater reports the marlin bite is the best in years across the SoCal Bight, with fish showing up in U.S. waters including the Northern Channel Islands. The same publication says a Point Loma half-day boat crew trip crushed yellowtail before finishing on white seabass, and a Sea Adventure 80 two-day charter out of Point Loma came home with around 100 yellowfin and other exotics in good weather. Closer to the beach, a kayak angler reported a tuna right outside Newport Harbor, with talk of El Niño and plenty of bonito around. Our NOAA CO-OPS readings show water at 74.5°F at station 9410170 and 72.7°F at station 9410230, which is warm for mid-October and fits that warm-water picture.
Delta bass and catfish settle into a steady mid-October pattern
Gauge readings at the Sacramento-Delta stations show water temperatures of 64 to 65°F this afternoon (USGS gauge 11446980, USGS gauge 11446700, USGS gauge 11447650). That is comfortable for bass, which tend to feed steadily in this range as days shorten. USGS gauge 11447650 reports flow near 7,800 cfs, a strong current that shapes where fish hold. Per Tactical Bassin (blog), fall bass are chasing baitfish, and adding a blade to a swimbait, such as an underspin, brings extra flash and vibration. Field & Stream notes that fall turnover rarely hits a fishery all at once, so clear, shallow bays and creek arms are worth checking first, with spinnerbaits used to cover water.
Delta bass and catfish settle into fall pattern as water cools
Delta water temperatures sit in the mid-60s this week, with gauge readings of 67°F, 66°F and 64°F across the region. That is comfortable territory for Largemouth Bass, which tend to feed more actively as water cools and baitfish move. Tactical Bassin's October coverage points to shallow water as the overlooked play for fall bass, using jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater without leaning on electronics. Their separate fall video notes that when bass are chasing baitfish, adding a blade to a swimbait through an underspin brings extra flash and vibration. Field & Stream adds that fall turnover rarely hits a whole fishery at once, so clearer shallow bays and creek arms are worth checking first.